Read the post about how Alderworks Alaska is using the quiet power of Dyea to inspire writer and artists on 49 Writers.

See two photo features from The Skagway News in August 2016 from an Open House at Alderworks with Bea cabin resident Liesl Ravenscroft and Mary Jane cabin resident Kathryn Kain.

Read about Michael and Kathy Gates’ fall 2014 experience in the Bea cabin at Alderworks in the Sept 26, 2014 Yukon News.

TESTIMONIALS

From Kirsten Christianson, summer 2018 poet: ” All in al, I cannot share enough positives about my experience at Alderworks. I am so grateful to you, Jeff and Dorothy, for offering me space to write and heal. Any chance I have to chat with writers, I tell them, ‘If your life allows, apply to Alderworks.’ My hope is that a writer friend will at one point, or another, land a spot in one of your cabins. And if they do, I cannot wait to see what creative work their experience produces.”

From Rachel Wilson, summer 2018 artist: “I loved staying here and felt snug and safe and ready to work. It is convenient and functional as well as charming.”

From Agnes Bannigan, summer 2018 writer: “…my time at Alderworks and in your Bea cabin has altered me in profound ways. It provided valuable clarity for my writing and emotional life. I accomplished so much and it gave me the momentum to keep producing, revising, and polishing pieces for publication…. Thank you so much for selecting me for the retreat but also helping to install and build my confidence and to take me seriously as a writer deserving of your gift. Alderworks is truly a gift!”

From X̱’unei – Lance A. Twitchell, summer 2017 resident writer and professor of language arts at UAS: “Alderworks was an amazing creative experience. There is just the right mix of hospitality and space to work, and the location is absolutely perfect. While sitting in the beautiful cabin buried in research, or on the porch listening to the river while writing, it was one of the most productive times of my life.”

From Mary Catharine Martin, summer 2017 resident writer from Juneau, Alaska: “It’s basically an artist’s dream existence: wake up to light filtering through a stained glass window. Pad downstairs. Make tea. Work all day. At Alderworks’ Bea cabin, I completed the second half of the first draft of my novel in progress, 250 pages in about three weeks. I wrote every morning until early afternoon, when I left for a run with at least one of the Brady’s dogs. Then I’d come back, read one of the many books I brought with me for research, or write and edit once again. The property is beautiful (with Dorothy’s skill at gardening, I can’t wait to see what it looks like in a few years), the woodpile is always stocked, and, most of all, you have the resources you most need to do good work: time and space to think and create. Dorothy and Jeff Brady are wonderful, friendly and supportive but respectful of writers’ and artists’ need for quiet. I missed my time at Alderworks before it was even finished, and I highly recommend the residency to other writers and artists.”

From Jessica Ramer, summer 2017 resident poet from Mississippi: “Alderworks offers the perfect blend of solitude and community. The individual cabins were well-built, comfortable, and far enough away from other cabins to provide for the quiet needed to write for uninterrupted periods. Fellow residents provided intellectual stimulation and companionship. I particularly enjoyed the summer (North Words Writers Symposium) conference with its cross-section of Alaska writers as well as the opportunity to teach poetry to middle-schoolers from a Montessori school. The area offers splendid recreation–hiking trails, horseback riding, and tours based in Skagway. Coming to Alderworks was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I recommend it highly to artists and creative writers.”

From Kathryn Kain, summer 2016 resident artist from San Francisco Bay area: “This last August of 2016 I had the amazing privilege of being invited to the Alderworks Alaska Artist and Writers Retreat. I was not sure what to expect but relished the exciting prospect of a new landscape to fuel my interest in botanical imagery. As it happened, my arrival coincided with an explosion of mushroom fruiting, the likes of which, locals said, they hadn’t seen in many years. So besides painting local plants and the vast pristine landscape, I harvested incredible mushrooms to draw and paint from life. We also harvested and ate some King Boletus Mushrooms which were absolutely delicious. The compound in Dyea on West Creek was stunningly beautiful. My cabin, the Mary Jane Cabin, provided me a charming home to work from for four weeks, so much so it was hard to leave. Provided with a bicycle I rode out to the tidal flats nearly every day to forage, photograph and paint. Jeff and Dorothy Brady are lovely hosts, making sure the residents have what they need, as well as hosting us, driving us to town and dropping off blueberries and freshly caught salmon filets every now and then. This was a beautiful experience and I thank Jeff, Dorothy and Annie Brady for the warm supportive environment they provided. This residency was a highlight of my year and I would encourage anyone looking to retreat back to wilderness to attend this residency.”

From Liesl Ravenscroft, summer 2016 resident writer from South Africa: “Thank you for sharing your beautiful creative haven (and heaven!) with me and thank you for a host of other things that contributed towards the perfect peaceful space to work – shopping lifts, advice, fish, fresh veggies in the garden, printing services, a much-needed hike up AB Mountain, well-equipped cabins…. I have happily done what I set out to do – completed my memoir plus connected with my illustrating again (Kathryn and her mushrooms were an inspiration!)…. What you are doing here is truly wonderful – I’m sure Alderworks is going to become a shining star in creative circles.”

From Mollie Hosmer-Dillard, summer 2016 resident painter from Midwest and NYC: “It’s been such an honor and a delight to spend a month in Dyea. I haven’t done a ton of residencies, but this one’s taken the cake! Every element of what you have set up here is perfect for an artist’s retreat – the landscape is so breathtaking, the cabins have been built with such love and care, and the two of you and your family are so warm, kind and fun.”

Yukon playwright Patti Flather spent two weeks testing out the Margaret cabin in early May 2016: “Alderworks is an incredible gift for writers and artists. During my two-week stay in Margaret, a cozy log cabin all to myself, I was welcomed warmly by Jeff and Dorothy Brady, two gentle, generous artist souls, along with their family and dedicated team of workers, all making this family homestead a rural gem. I felt nourished by this stunning environment at the end of the road in Dyea. This residency gave me the time and solitude to delve into my first novel, sorting out its multiple characters in a space free of distractions, besides watching resident horses Twilight and Glory munch grass or the brilliant red-breasted sapsucker pecking away outside my cabin window, the nearby river’s rush constantly soothing. I found inspiration everywhere, from A.B., Cleveland and the other snow-capped mountains which seemed to glow from dawn to dusk as I wrote, to Dorothy’s found objects artfully gracing garden nooks and my bike rides to the Dyea Flats and Taiya River estuary. Thank you Alderworks!”

Finally, please watch the Leigh Newman testimonial video below about her three weeks at Alderworks in August 2015, when she was one of our early residents testing the Mary Jane cabin (she also returned for a second two-week stay in Margaret in late August 2016):